Staff Training Manual on
Communication & Media
Haryana Community Forestry Project
Haryana Forest Department
Prepared by
Ajay Rai, TA Training Officer
September 2001
Training on
Communication & Media
SESSION SCHEDULE, READING MATERIAL,
HANDOUTS
Haryana Community Forestry Project
Training on Communication and Media
Session Schedule
Session
No.
Day 1
Duration
Session Details
9-10 a.m.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Day 2
7
8
9
10
11
Registration and Introduction.
Training Objectives
10-11 a.m. Communication and media use under
HCFP: Discussion & Presentation
11-11.15
Tea Break
a.m.
11.15-12
Communication Process & Principles:
a.m.
Presentation & Discussion
12 – 1
Communication Barriers & Breakdowns:
p.m.
Saboteur game followed by presentation
1-2 p.m.
Lunch Break
2-3.30
Communicating with villagers: Role Play;
p.m.
What we do & What we don’t; Case Study
3.30-3.45 Tea Break
p.m.
3.45-4.30 Importance of listening: Chinese Whisper
p.m.
4.30-5
Evening exercise on Communicating an
p.m.
Idea to be presented next day
Material Needed
9-11 a.m.
11-11.15
a.m.
11. 1512.15 p.m.
12.15-1
p.m.
1-2 p.m.
2-3 p.m.
3-3.15
p.m.
3.15-4.30
p.m.
4.30-5
p.m.
Communication Media: Advantages &
Disadvantages: Communicating an Idea –
group exercise
Tea Break
Handout, OHP
Reading Material,
OHP
Handouts, Notes for
participants, OHP
Handouts
Message text,
Handouts
Handouts
Charts, Marker
Pens, Video camera,
TV, Handouts
Effective speaking: Exercise on delivering Handouts, Video
a motivational speech
camera
Organising Public Meeting: Tips
Handouts
Lunch
Organising Awareness Campaigns: Tips
Tea Break
Important messages under HCFP &
Areas of weaknesses in communication
(for ITC staff)
OR:
Problems in adopting participatory
process: Client-Consultant exercise for
developing strategies (for SDFOs)
Recap, Training Evaluation & Closing
Handouts
In case of SDFOs’ batch, the training would be for three days. The first day would
be for review the process of project implementation in the field, from Village Entry
to Microproject Formulation. The main objectives are to reiterate the importance
of participatory process; identify constraints which inhibit adoption of the process;
help the participants develop solutions & strategies to overcome the constraints;
delineate and emphasise the importance of SDFO’s role in the process.
• Review the Approach & Stages of the HCFP process.
• Discuss the role of SDFOs at various stages, particularly keeping in mind the
•
•
•
support need of the field staff during PA and Micro-planning.
Problems & constraints being encountered in adopting the participatory
process.
Develop strategies to overcome the constraints
Review of revised manuals on Village Entry, Participatory Assessment and
Microplanning & Microproject Formulation
Session
No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Time
Session Details
9-10
Registration & Introduction
a.m.
10-10.30 HCFP objectives, process, stages, timea.m.
frame and approach & Role of SDFOs:
Presentation followed by discussion
10.30-11 Participatory process: Need and
a.m.
Importance in HCFP: Presentation
followed by discussion
11-11.15 Tea Break
a.m.
11.15-12 Discussion on support needs of field
a.m.
staff to implement the process & role of
SDFOs
12-1
Constraints and solutions in adoption of
p.m.
participatory process & tools: group
discussion
1-2 p.m. Lunch
2-5 p.m. Going through revised manuals for
Village Entry, Participatory Assessment
and Microplanning & Microproject
Formulation
Suggested
Speaker/Facilitator
Mr. S. K. Dhar
Mr. Göran Jonsson
Ajay Rai
Ajay Rai
Ajay Rai
COMMUNICATION & MEDIA
Haryana Community Forestry Project (HCFP) is attempting to implement a
process which would build the capacity of the village community to develop and
manage their natural resources. The process is divided into nine phases where
intensive interaction of different nature would take place between project staff
and village community, sections of community and their representatives. The ITC
division under the project has been established to support the operational staff by
providing training to the villagers and communicating various aspects of the
project to the civil society in general and the village community of the project
villages in particular.
The importance of effective communication cannot be over-emphasised. The
purpose of good and effective communication is to link people, modify behaviour,
effect change, and achieve goals. Communication is the means by which people
are influenced and linked together to achieve a common purpose. Group activity
is impossible without communication because coordination and change cannot
be effected without it. Distorted communication may result in conflict. Through
proper communication one gets to know the needs and objectives of people.
Communication is needed to: establish and disseminate goals; develop plans for
their achievement; organise human and other resources in their most effective
and efficient way; select, develop and appraise members; lead, direct, guide,
facilitate, motivate and create a climate in which people want to contribute;
control performance. Communication relates an institution/enterprise to its
external environment. Furthermore, communication is vital in creating an
environment in which people are motivated to work hard.
The operational and ITC staff need to communicate with villagers at different
levels – individual as well as group. The group may be a small group
representing a section of the village community or members of the VRMC, the
representative body of the whole community, or it could be large enough to
include the whole village community or civil society in general. While the field
staff, particularly a Forest Guard would be interacting on day-to-day basis with
the villagers, interaction of others, such as an SDO or ITC staff, would be
infrequent. Therefore the latter need to take more care in organising and
delivering their messages to achieve the desired result.
Whether it is to influence villagers to change or to reduce the possibility of conflict
in future due to differing perceptions, one needs to learn and adopt techniques of
effective communication. In order to communicate effectively one needs to
understand the communication process, be aware of factors that cause barriers
and breakdowns in communication (in order to avoid them) and develop the habit
of becoming an active listener and able speaker.
What is Communication?
Communication is the transfer of information from the sender to a receiver with
the information being understood by the receiver. Communication tends to be
clear when it is expressed in a language and transmitted in a way that can be
understood by the receiver. The responsibility of the sender is to formulate the
message so that it is understandable to the receiver. The responsibility pertains
primarily to written and oral communication and points to the necessity of
planning the message, stating the underlying assumptions, realising the
constraints and capabilities of the receiver and applying the generally accepted
rules for effective writing and speaking.
Process of Communication
Any communication requires a medium to pass on information or message from a
source or sender of it to the receiver of the same. In the case of a message being
sent by a leader to his followers, the process would have three main components:
Leader, the SOURCE – MESSAGE – Follower, the RECEIVER
Leaders as well as followers filter the communication. The perception, in turn,
may be influenced by various things, such as their education, cultural context,
past experience, etc.
The message has three important elements which determine how well the
thought the leader wants to convey is understood by the follower. They are:
Words -- phrases that the one selects to express the thought that one wants to
communicate. They include vocabulary, language, phrases, sentence structure
and sentence clarity. Careful selection of words is very important to convey the
right meaning as well as achieve the desired effect. They can lead to costly
errors, false hopes or disillusionment. At the same time it can inspire and
motivate. It is important to note that the same word may have different meaning
in different cultural contexts, different situations, and if spoken in different
tone/volume.
Paralanguage – characteristics of the voice such as rate of speech, diction, tone,
rhythm and volume. One can speak a sentence such as “What are you doing?” in
tones which can indicate genuine concern, indifferent inquiry, indignant
questioning, or sarcastic query.
Non-verbal behaviour (Visuals) is anything which can be seen by the other
person, such as gesture, facial expressions, eye contact, body language and
positioning. One has to be careful of non-verbal communication. You may be
saying “well done” with your words but sending a totally different message with
your eyes, head, body language or even a sigh.
The process of the communication is completed when the message is received
by the follower or the receiver and an appropriate feedback is sent to the source
or leader. Feedback is the process by which the receiver communicates to the
sender how he understands the message that was sent. As a leader, you must
monitor both the message you are sending and followers' feedback. The
perception of the message is also important.
Model of Communication Process
Message
Sender
Encoder
transmitter
Transmitted Message
Channel
Noise
distortion
Decoder
Receiver
Received message
Feedback
The Encoding process refers to forming of the message to be sent and is
influenced by the knowledge, beliefs, biases and feelings of the sender. An
effective leader is aware of these influences and minimizes their effect in forming
a message. The Channel is the medium for the message like voice, body
language, television, computers etc. It is essential for effective communication
that the channel is well accessible to the receiver. The Decoding represents
assimilation and interpretation of the message that was sent. During this process
the receivers' knowledge, beliefs, biases and perception affect how well the
message is understood and accepted.
Communication Barriers and Breakdowns
In order to search for solutions of a problem, identification of the right problem is
also necessary. It is generally said that right problem identification is half problem
solved. Thus, a good communicator will look for problems of communication and
then the root cause, instead of just dealing with symptoms. Barriers can be faced
while sending, transmitting and receiving the information or while getting
feedback. The specific communication barriers are:
1. Lack of planning: Good communication seldom happens by chance. A
communication can be planned by giving proper thought to the message,
audience, environment, etc. and then structuring it in such a way that the
receiver can understand it as you want him to. Giving the reasons for a
message, selecting the most appropriate channel, and choosing proper
timing can greatly improve understanding.
2. Unclarified Assumptions: Unclarified assumptions that underlie most
messages may result in confusion and loss of goodwill. The villagers have
prepared a micro-plan for the overall development of their village with the
help of the HCFP. They assume that HCFP would support everything
contained in the micro-plan, including construction of phirni, hospital, school,
street light, setting up small enterprises apart from creating the plantations.
The HCFP would think that they are only supposed to support plantation on
common and private land.
3. Semantic (meaning) distortion: This can be deliberate or accidental. They
arise because of limitations of symbols with which we communicate. These
could be in the form of words, pictures, actions etc. The Forest Guard may
say that the villagers have to “participate” in the programme. He may think
that participation means villagers would ‘contribute’ time, labour and money,
whereas the villagers might think participation means only attending
meetings called by the Forest Guard.
4. Poorly expressed messages: A good idea with poorly chosen words,
omissions, lack of coherence, poor organization of ideas, awkward sentence
structure, platitudes, unnecessary jargon and failure to clarify implications of
the message can result in lack of clarity and precision of the message. It can
be avoided by taking greater care while encoding the message.
5. Loss by transmission and poor retention: In the transmission process if
the number of persons involved in transmitting the same message (in
sequence) are too many, then the message becomes less and less accurate
as it passes from one person to the other. Information retention is another
serious problem with some receivers. Thus, it is sometimes necessary to
repeat the same message and use different channels for communicating the
same message.
6. Poor listening and premature evaluation: The importance of listening is
discussed in detail later in the chapter. Poor listening habits are quite
common. Listening demands full attention and self-discipline. It also requires
that the listener avoids premature evaluation of what the other person has to
say. A common tendency is to judge - approve or disapprove what is being
said – rather than trying to understand the speaker’s frame of reference.
7. Impersonal Communication: Communication in an environment that
creates openness and trust is likely to be more effective. Informal face-toface discussion may work better than communication in a formal impersonal
environment.
8. Distrust, Threat and Fear: Distrust, Threat and Fear undermine
communication. Messages delivered under these conditions would be viewed
with scepticism. The time spent in building trust and rapport can never be
considered wasted. Under such circumstances, people tend to become
defensive and conceal information.
9. Information overload: If a person keeps on eating without any restriction,
such overeating may cause disorders in his/her body system; if a sender
keeps on transmitting information without assessing the capacity of the
receiver to grasp it, the receiver will be overloaded with it. The consequences
can be:
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Receiver may disregard certain information or be unable to retain most of it
Processing errors at any point while observing and interpreting
Delay in processing
Filter information
10. Other barriers: Other barriers could be selective perception of people, where
they tend to perceive what they expect to perceive. They hear what they want
to hear and ignore other relevant information. In villages quite often people
remember what the project is going to provide free of cost to them, but are
not aware of other aspects which require them to contribute. Closely related
to it is the prejudiced attitude. If people have already made up their minds,
they cannot objectively listen to what is said. The difference in status and
power between sender and receiver may also result in communication
barriers.
What is Effective Communication?
Effective communication is the ability to put a message in a way that people can
easily understand and provide opportunities for appropriate feedback. An
effective communication is always a two-way process consisting of receiving as
well as providing information and feelings. There are many ways and means to
effectively communicate depending on the situation and need (and socio-cultural
background) of the people who are involved in it. An effective communication
depends on the feelings, values, knowledge and beliefs of the sender as well as
the external environment conditions that influence it.
Effective communication stems from the right combination of tone of voice,
words, body language and pace of speech and actions. These four areas are the
components of a person's communication style. We need to adapt our
communication style in order to communicate effectively with others.
Effective communication should help people in decision making and thus
empower them to become dynamic rather than static. A proper direction and
guidance with proper or timely feedback helps in increasing the effectiveness of
the communication process.
In order to become an effective communicator, one needs to tune in not only
words – and the way they are expressed – but non-verbal (body) language also.
Ways of Effective Communication
By and large there are five ways of communication, viz. listening, speaking,
reading, writing and acting. Here we will concentrate on two components, i.e.
listening and speaking because in the context of leadership in rural areas these
are the widely used components. Apart from listening, speaking and doing, there
are two other elements of communication, which are not so obvious. They are
thinking and feeling. The effect of these spills over on the others and
communicates itself without effort.
Listening
“We are given two ears, but only one mouth. This is because God knew that
listening was twice as hard as talking.”
Listening is one of the most critical skills in the communication process for which
least attention is given by an individual. Listening helps leaders to understand
followers’ needs, problems, moods or levels of interest.
Research also shows that people spend 45% of their communication time
listening. Despite this an average listener understands and retains about half of
what is said immediately after a presentation, and within 48 hours this level drops
off to 22%.
The successful communicator will have not the loudest voice, but the readiest
ear. A good communicator is a good listener.
While listening is as much an attitude as a set of activities, it is necessary to
provide a structure for listening. Listening involves hearing, sensing,
interpretation, evaluation and response. Avenues for listening should be regular
and frequent. Providing the time, place and opportunities dedicated to listening
needs to become a way of life for the leader. Such listening can and should take
many different and varied forms: one to one, groups, one to many, etc. Through
such means, leaders receive good ideas, as well as early warning signals when
things are not going well. You and I can improve our listening habits. It will take
concentration and hard work. Our listening habits are the results of years of often
unconscious behaviour. Do we maintain eye contact? Do we really work at
listening?
Listening is just the beginning. One must complete the feedback loop – that is to
respond. It is crucial to get back to people after listening to them and the
feedback needs not be so formal. Much of the benefit of listening is lost if this
loop is not completed. Also, future success in getting good information from
people depends on completing the feedback loop. One of the most important
things in listening is not only to hear, but also to learn to hear selectively.
Everything that is said is not of equal worth. The hearing is not selective in the
sense of what is pleasing or what fits where the leader wants to go. Rather one
must always listen for clues about positive directions to take or about uneasiness
that may be present. One must be more than a collector of data; one must be a
searcher for insights and clues. Most importantly, one must hear what is not
being said. Some of the most important revelations come in what people choose
not to say or in who does not speak.
Good listening includes a package of skills, which requires knowledge of
technique and practice very similar to good writing or good speaking. Many
people believe that good listening skills are easy to learn or automatically part of
every person's personality. Neither is correct. The difference is that poor listening
skills are often not as obvious to other people. If we cannot speak effectively, it is
immediately obvious, but it may take a little time for other people to become
aware that you or I are poor listeners. Poor listening habits are very common.
Indeed, poor listening skills are more common than poor speaking skills. I am
sure that you have seen on many occasions, two or more people talking to (by)
each other at the same time. People cannot talk and be effective listeners at the
same instance. What is not so obvious is when you and I are only paying partial
attention or don't fully understand.
Good listening skills will vary from one communication situation to the next. For
example, what is effective feedback will vary from one person to another. Some
people to whom you are listening may need more feedback than other people
may. Listening skills can always be improved. Perfection in listening, just as in
other communications skills, does not exist.
There are three basic listening modes: combative, attentive and reflective.
Most of us would describe our listening as attentive, that we are interested in the
other person's point of view. In arguments one tends to adopt a combative mode.
One tends not to hear other persons’ points/reasons, but wants to promote one’s
own. All too seldom do we take the reflective mode in which we take an active roll
in the communications process. We are not just passive vessels into which
information is poured, but we think critically about the topics, the messages we
receive. This is when real learning occurs.
Speaking
"Never speak more clearly than you think." Jeremy Bernstein
Under the project this would be a very common method of communicating with
villagers. Whether it is to provide information or seek information or to develop
understanding or to plan for activities and take decisions or to resolve conflicts
that might arise.
Tips
•
Keep it simple: Think in terms of a clear vision and some core values that you
want to communicate at every opportunity, though in many different ways.
The tune stays the same, but the message keeps changing. The tune must
always remain simple if it is to be remembered.
•
Make it memorable: Find fresh and memorable ways to communicate.
Inventiveness with language and avoidance of a stereotyped style is important
for leaders. Effective leaders use memorable phrases and metaphors. The
tools to make it more memorable could be pictures, illustrations, symbols etc.
•
Use every opportunity: See nothing as routine. Use every opportunity to tell
the story, to tie many things to the central story and vision. It is not necessary
that an agenda should be discussed only when a meeting is held. It could be
discussed in an informal environment also.
Writing
The VRMC/S members may need to maintain resolution books, minutes of
meetings, post notices, maintain information boards. These should be viewed as
opportunities to practice wholesale sharing of information.
The symbol of sharing information is often as important as the actual information
itself. Posting of minutes of board and committee meetings is perhaps more
important in its symbolic value than in terms of how many people will actually
read them. Sharing of financial information would result in increased confidence
among the members.
Pictorial representation could be an effective way of representing information
meant for the whole village. It would help those who cannot read or write to
understand the message, and make them feel involved.
Actions
Actions (or Doing or Acting) are not ordinarily thought of as communication, but
actions probably reflect the most powerful communication instrument available to
the leader. There is a famous proverb that "actions" speaks louder than "words".
A pat on the back of the person whom you want to appreciate will convey the
meaning itself or shaking hand to welcome someone.
Effective Communication in Groups
Most of the communication under the project would be done in groups – small or
large. The following guidelines would help in effective communication in groups/
committees:
•
The size of the committee or the group, which is involved in discussing an
issue, should neither be too large nor too small. Large groups increase the
complexity of group dynamics, whereas the possibility in a small group is of
coalition of a few against others. However, it is difficult to draw any precise
conclusion about the appropriate size of the group. But at the time of forming
a group it should be kept in mind that no one should dominate over others and
also the group/committee is not so large that individual attention is not being
given and everybody does not get an opportunity to contribute.
•
The group should be representative of various interests and sections within
the community.
•
The representative member of the community should have the capability to
communicate well and reach the group decisions by integrated group thinking
rather than by inappropriate compromise.
•
The chairperson of any committee meeting should initiate the planning of the
meeting, prepare the agenda, see that outcomes of the previous
happenings/works are available to the members ahead of time, formulate
definite proposals for action, and conduct the meeting efficiently. The
chairperson sets the tone of the meeting, integrates the ideas and keeps
discussions on the track.
•
Effective communication in the meeting requires information sharing over the
outcomes and conclusions of the meeting. If a member could not attend the
meeting due any reason, he/she should be informed of outcomes and
conclusions as a matter of routine.
•
The committee must be worth its cost. Intangible factors/benefits should be
given equal importance than tangible. Intangible benefits/factors could be
morale, enhanced status of committee members, etc.
PURPOSE OF COMMUNICATION IN HCFP
Information Sharing
Sensitisation – Generating Understanding
Mobilising Opinion
Generating Awareness
Generating Interest
Initiation of Community Action
Ensuring Participation
Developing Capability
Management of Group Processes
Negotiating Different Interests
Decision Making
Assessment of village condition
Planning
Conflict Resolution
Monitoring & Evaluation
SESSION 1: HANDOUT
Stage
Village
Entry
Important
Aspects
•
Development of
mutual trust.
•
Understanding of
Project among
villagers.
•
•
•
What can/should be
Communicated
•
•
Understanding of
village by Project
staff.
•
EPA selection.
•
Formal
Permission from
Panchayat/
Gram Sabha.
Important Messages
Project Objectives,
Approach, Focus, Process,
Strategies & Models.
•
Conditions under which
project would work in the
village.
•
Community capabilities essential for
managing common resources.
•
Emphasis on marginal and weaker
sections, but the whole community is
to be involved.
Time frame of the project
processes & activities.
Main objective of the project is to
develop community capability to
develop and manage their resources.
How HCFP is different
from other ‘government
schemes / projects’ the
villagers are accustomed to?
•
•
Role & responsibility for
villagers & FD under the
project.
•
•
Importance of commons
and community action to
rehabilitate & develop them
for common benefits.
Success of the project would depend
upon how well the project staff and
the village community (and their
representatives) jointly assess, plan,
implement, monitor and evaluate.
•
Advantages &
disadvantages of Agroforestry/tree plantation.
Contribution of time and resources
by villagers is an essential element of
the project.
•
As the process is participatory and
directed towards capacity building,
the implementation would take some
time to start.
•
The project process is directed
towards building of community
capability to develop and manage
their own resources.
Media Use Measures
•
•
•
•
•
Gram Sabha meetings.
•
•
•
Village plays.
Focus group discussions.
Door-to-door visit with leaflet.
Posters.
Meetings with key
persons/leaders.
Songs.
Participatory tools: Mapping,
EPA Ranking.
Stage
Participatory
Assessment
Important
Aspects
•
•
•
Assessment of
village social,
economic and
natural resource
condition.
Identification of
problems for
community &
weaker/marginal
sections.
Discussion on
these problems
leading to
sensitisation and
village level
consensus on
those problems.
•
Collection of
baseline
information.
•
Presentation of
findings to the
village community.
What can/should be
Communicated
•
•
•
Need and Importance of the
villagers to participate in the
assessment process.
Nature and Objective of
information to be collected.
Process of information
collection and analysis.
Tools & Techniques of
information collection and
analysis.
•
Outputs, conclusions and
implications of the
assessment.
•
Time frame of the project
implementation.
Important Messages
•
•
The information collection process
has been designed to make
participation of every one possible –
literate as well as illiterate.
The information belongs to the
village and would be used by
villagers for developing plan and
micro-projects and analysing the
project impact only.
•
Participation of all sections of the
community is an essential aspect of
the process as they may have
different needs and problems.
•
Other messages may vary from
village to village and may be
determined by the outputs of the
assessment process.
Media Use Measures
•
•
Door-to-door survey.
•
Discussion with key
informants.
•
•
Gram Sabha meeting.
Group meetings & discussions
with different sections.
Participatory tools for
assessment – Mapping,
Diagramming and Comparing.
Stage
VRMC/VRMS
Constitution
Important
Aspects
•
Formation of
VRMC/VRMS.
•
Selection of Link
Workers.
•
Finalisation of
Bye-laws.
•
Selection of
VRMC/VRMS
office bearers.
•
Tripartite
Agreement.
What can/should be
Communicated
Important Messages
•
Need for a separate
community institution for
the project.
•
VRMC’s power and functions in
relation to HCFP activities and
management of common property.
•
•
Institutional options.
•
Membership of VRMC is for
common good and not personal
benefit.
•
Desired qualifications &
characteristics of VRMC
members.
Role of VRMC & its
members.
•
Objectives & Bye-laws of
VRMC/S.
•
Link Workers' ToR.
•
•
Villagers should organise their own
resources before they look for
outside resources.
VRMC does not encroach on
Panchayat domain, rather it supports
it. Good relationship between them is
important to reach the goal.
Media Use Measures
•
Group discussion with different
sections in the village.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gram Sabha meeting.
Posters.
Model bye-law.
Link Workers' ToR.
VRMC meeting resolutions.
Panchayat resolution.
Stage
Microplanning
& Microproject
Formulation
Important
Aspects
•
•
•
•
•
Microproject
Implementation
•
Prepare Microplan & Microproject proposal.
Negotiate
differences in
priorities,
problems,
perceptions
between sections
within the
community.
Sensitisation and
consensus
building across
problems,
solutions &
strategies.
Approval of the
Microplan and the
various Microproject proposals
in Gram Sabha
meetings.
Microproject Joint
Agreements.
Implement
approved
microprojects.
What can/should be
Communicated
•
•
•
What is a Microplan?
Microplanning process and
tools.
Problems related to
different sections of the
community.
•
Underlying causes of
problems.
•
•
Solutions to the problems.
Goals related to the
problems.
•
Extent of local and outside
contribution.
•
Activity, resources, timeframe needed for
implementation.
•
Activities that can be
financially & technically
supported by HCFP.
Important Messages
•
Microplan is the village level plan,
prepared by villagers for village and
resource development.
•
The responsibility to implement the
plan rests primarily with the VRMC
by identifying various sources of
support.
•
HCFP would support only those
plans that match its objectives,
particularly those related to resource
development.
•
Role & responsibility of villagers and
HCFP during implementation of
different micro-projects.
•
Consultation, decision making and
progress review process.
•
Sanctioned budget for different
micro-projects.
•
Time-frame for implementation of
different micro-projects.
Media Use Measures
•
Training of VRMC members
on Microplan preparation.
•
Participatory tools for Microplanning
•
VRMC meetings and
resolutions
•
•
•
•
Microplan document.
Microproject proposals.
Gram Sabha meetings.
Exposure visits.
•
HCFP models. Suitable and
preferred species for
different plantation models.
•
Support sources for other
activities.
•
Strategy and time-frame for
implementation.
•
Areas of joint and separate
responsibility during implementation.
•
VRMC/VRMS meetings and
resolutions.
•
Role of VRMC/VRMS
during implementation.
•
Progress and problems during
implementation.
Gram Sabha meetings.
•
Technology for planting &
maintenance of plantations.
•
•
•
•
•
Newsletter.
Training of VRMC/S members.
Training of villagers
participating in microprojects.
Exposure visits.
Stage
Participatory
Monitoring &
Evaluation
Important
Aspects
•
Constitute village
monitoring team.
•
Monitor and
evaluate microplan, microprojects and
community
capabilities.
What can/should be
Communicated
•
Important Messages
Need to monitor the
capabilities and microplan
progress by villagers.
•
•
Monitoring tools and
process.
•
•
Community capabilities to
sustain the process of
resource development.
•
What is an empowered
community?
•
Desired qualifications &
ToR of monitoring team
members.
•
System through which the
learning can be discussed
within the village and used
to update the village microplan.
Media Use Measures
It is important to monitor whether the
goals and plans are being achieved or
not.
•
•
Training on PME.
The real test of the effectiveness of
VRMCs would be in fulfilling the
plans for which HCFP is not
providing financial or technical
support.
•
•
•
•
Village Information Board.
•
Community is in the best position to
monitor these.
•
The purpose is to identify and agree
on the area of weaknesses so that
they can be overcome.
Monitoring charts and
logbooks.
VRMC meetings.
Group discussions.
Participatory monitoring tools.
The idea and need for a VRMC/S is introduced at the time of village entry,
and discussed in detail during Participatory Assessment during discussions
with different socio-economic sections within the village. During PA
issues such as the need for joint effort by the community to resolve the
problems, need for a separate village institution, representation of different
sections in VRMC/S, qualification of such representatives etc. are
discussed, together with identification of persons who could be effective
representatives from different sections. Once the representatives are
finalised, the bye-law could be discussed and finalised, while microplanning is going on.
At every stage communication is kept open with Panchayat.
Media Being Used for Communication under
HCFP
Verbal Media
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Verbal-visual media
Visual Media
Audio-visual Media
Audio Media
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Written Media
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gram Sabha Meetings
VRMC meetings
Group Discussion
Door to Door visits
Discussion with Key Persons & Village
Leaders
Training Programmes
Workshops
Participatory tools for assessment, planning
and monitoring
Exposure visits
Photographs
Posters
Stickers
Video-films
Drama & Plays
School level programmes
Radio programmes
Folk songs / Ragini containing audio
cassettes
Wall painted Slogans
Leaflets
Agreements; Resolutions; Contracts; Byelaws; Records; Reports; Plans
Letters
Village Information Boards
Calendar
Diary
Newsletter
Journal (Haryali)
School level competition (Quiz)
Newspaper reports
Discussion Questions
•
Which of the listed medium / methods have you used under the project for
communication and for what purpose?
•
What are the advantages and limitations of the listed methods & media?
•
How many Gram Sabha or VRMC meetings or VRMC training programmes have you
participated in and what was your role?
•
What was the nature of your involvement during Village Entry, Participatory
Assessment and Micro-planning process in project villages?
HANDOUT
Effective communication exists between two people when the receiver interprets and
understands the sender’s message in the same way the sender intended it.
Sources of Difficulty by the Speaker
•
Voice volume too low to be heard.
•
Making the message too complex, either by including too many unnecessary details or
too many issues.
•
Getting lost, forgetting your point or the purpose of the interaction.
•
Body language or non-verbal elements contradicting or interfering with the verbal
message, such as smiling when anger or hurt is being expressed.
•
Paying too much attention to how the other person is taking the message, or how
the person might react.
Sources of Difficulty by the Listener
•
Being preoccupied and not listening.
•
Being so interested in what you have to say that you listen mainly to find an opening
to get the floor.
•
Formulating and listening to your own rebuttal to what the speaker is saying.
•
Listening to your own personal beliefs about what is being said.
•
Evaluating and making judgements about the speaker or the message.
•
Not asking for clarification when you know that you do not understand.
General Communication Techniques
•
Focus on the person
•
Avoid judging the person
•
Be aware of the feelings of the individual
•
Show you understand what is being said
•
REPHRASING/CLARIFYING
¾ If I hear you correctly, you're saying that...
¾ Let me see if I understand what you've been saying...
¾ From what you've said, it seems that...
HANDOUT
Communication Barriers and Breakdowns
1. Lack of planning
2. Unclarified Assumptions
3. Semantic (meaning) distortion
4. Poorly expressed messages
5. Loss by transmission and poor retention
6. Poor listening and premature evaluation
7. Impersonal Communication
8. Distrust, Threat and Fear
9. Information overload
10. Selective perception & prejudiced attitude
11. Difference in status and power between sender and receiver
Tip box
The project conditions for working together should be made
very clear from the beginning. Unilateral changes in the ‘rules
of the game’ should be avoided.
Never.... never…never make a promise you can not keep…and
once a promise is made try to keep it. Excuses, howsoever
genuine, would break the fragile trust.
Work as a team. Try to avoid giving different or conflicting
versions of the same thing.
Communication Skills Training Received by an Average Person
SKILLS
Writing
Reading
Speaking
Listening
YEARS OF
TRAINING
14
8
1
0
EXTENT USED IN ADULT LIFE
Little
Some
Quite a bit
A great deal
The figures may be lower for people in rural areas, particularly women.
Benefits of Active Listening
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Sometimes a person just needs to be heard and acknowledged before
the person is willing to consider an alternative or soften his/her
position.
It is often easier for a person to listen to and consider the other’s
position when that person knows the other is listening and considering
his/her position.
It helps people to spot the flaws in their reasoning when they hear it
played back without criticism.
It also helps identify areas of agreement so the areas of disagreement
are put in perspective and are diminished rather than magnified.
Reflecting back what we hear each other say helps give each a chance
to become aware of the different levels that are going on below the
surface. This helps to bring things into the open where they can be
more readily resolved.
If we accurately understand the other person’s view, we can be more
effective in helping the person see the flaws in his/her position.
If we listen so we can accurately understand the other’s view, we can
also be more effective in discovering the flaws in our own position.
Three basic listening modes
Competitive or Combative Listening happens when we are more interested in promoting
our own point of view than in understanding or exploring someone else’s view. We either
listen for openings to take the floor, or for flaws or weak points we can attack. As we
pretend to pay attention we are impatiently waiting for an opening, or internally
formulating our rebuttal and planning our devastating comeback that will destroy
others’ arguments and make us the victors.
In Passive or Attentive Listening we are genuinely interested in hearing and
understanding the other person’s point of view. We are attentive and passively listen.
We assume that we heard and understand correctly but stay passive and do not verify
it.
Active or Reflective Listening is the single most useful and important listening skill. In
active listening we are also genuinely interested in understanding what the other person
is thinking, feeling, wanting or what the message means, and we are active in checking
out our understanding before we respond with our own new message. We restate or
paraphrase our understanding of their message and reflect it back to the sender for
verification. This verification or feedback process is what distinguishes active listening
and makes it effective.
Attributes of Good Listening
The following attributes of good listening are suggestive of the skills needed. There is
some overlap between the various attributes, but each suggests something different.
1. Concentration. Good listening is normally hard work. At every moment we are
receiving literally millions of sensory messages. We have to reduce almost all of
these and concentrate on the verbal sounds (and visual clues) from one source. And
this concentration is something that most of us have not been thoroughly trained in
how to do. Focus your attention - on the words, ideas and feeling related to the
subject. Concentrate on the main ideas or points. Don't let examples or fringe
comments detract you. All of this takes a conscious effort.
2. Attention. Attention may be defined as the visual portion of concentration on the
speaker. Through eye contact and other body language, we communicate to the
speaker that we are paying close attention to his/her messages. All the time we are
reading the verbal and non-verbal cues from the speaker, the speaker is reading
ours. What messages are we sending out? If we lean forward a little and focus our
eyes on the person, the message is we are paying close attention.
3. Eye contact. Good eye contact is essential for several reasons: First, by maintaining
eye contact, some of the competing visual inputs are eliminated. You are not as likely
to be distracted from the person talking to you. Second, most of us have learned to
read lips, often unconsciously, and the lip reading helps us to understand verbal
messages. Third, much of many messages are in non-verbal form and by watching the
eyes and face of a person we pick up clues as to the content. A squinting of the eyes
may indicate close attention. A slight nod indicates understanding or agreement.
Finally, our eye contact with the speaker is feedback concerning the message: Yes, I
am listening, I am paying attention. I hear you. Remember: a person's face, mouth,
eyes, hands and body all help to communicate to you.
4. Receptive Body Language. Certain body postures and movements are culturally
interpreted with specific meanings. The crossing of arms and legs is perceived to
mean a closing of the mind and attention. The nodding of the head vertically is
interpreted as agreement or assent. Too close and we appear to be pushy or
aggressive and too far and we are seen as
cold. Likewise there are many body languages indicating the receptiveness of the
message
5. Understanding of Communication Symbols. A good command of the spoken language
is essential in good listening. Meaning must be related to the words. For a single
word used in different context and at different place might mean different things.
You as the listener must concentrate on the context of the usage in order to
correctly understand the message. The spoken portion of the language is only a
fraction of the message. Voice inflection, body language and other symbols send
messages also. Thus, a considerable knowledge of non-verbal language is important in
good listening.
6. Openness. We should be open to the message the other person is sending. It is very
difficult to be completely open because each of us is strongly biased by the weight
of our past experiences. We give meaning to the messages based upon our
knowledge. Talk to someone from a different culture and watch how he gives
meaning to words. Or another listening challenge is to listen open and objectively to
a person with very different political or religious or ideological beliefs. Can you do
that? Really? It is wonderful if you can and if you cannot, it is time to start because
in working with villagers you may need to listen to and understand opinions quite
contrary to your own.
7. Restating the message. Repeating and re-framing the message as part of the
feedback can enhance the effectiveness of good communication. A comment such as:
"I want to make sure that I have fully understood your message...." and then
paraphrase in your own words the message. If the communication is not clear, such a
feedback will allow for immediate clarification. It is important that you state the
message as clearly and objectively as possible.
8. Questioning/Clarifying. Questions can serve the same purpose as restating the
message. If you are unclear about the intent of the message, ask for more
information after allowing sufficient time for explanations. Don't ask questions that
will hurt, embarrass or belittle the other person. Only part of the responsibility is
with the speaker. You have an important and active role to play also. If the message
does not get through, it means that two people have failed; first the speaker and
then you as an active listener.
9. Empathy. As a good listener if you want to understand the other person, it is not
necessary that you become like him/her. Try to put yourself in the speaker's
position so that you can see what he/she is trying to get at.
10. Strategic Pauses. Pauses can be used very effectively in listening. For example, a
pause at some points in the feedback can be used to signal that you are carefully
considering the message, that you are "thinking" about what was just said.
11. Don't Interject. There is a great temptation at many times for the listener to jump
in and say in essence: "Isn't this really what you meant to say." This carries the
message: "I can say it better than you can" or “Do not bother. I know what you are
trying to say”. This may choke any further messages from the speaker. Often, this
process may result in situation in which each person tries to dominate and let the
other be suppressed. This may result in little communication.
12. Leave the Channel Open. A good listener always leaves open the possibility of
additional messages. A brief question or a nod will often encourage additional
communications.
13. You cannot listen while you are talking. This is very obvious, but very frequently
overlooked or ignored. An important question is why are you talking: Whether to gain
attention to yourself or to communicate a message?
HANDOUT
Motivational Speech/Talk
Motivational or persuasive speech/talk is an important tool in a project context.
Whenever there is an attempt to change -- modifying behaviour, introducing new
systems & technologies -- there is resistance. One may need to use it to influence,
motivate or convince villagers to participate in the project process and activities by
contributing time and resources and make them agree for change. The purpose is to
make the audience act as you request -- and they act only when we are able to win both
their minds & hearts.
TECHNIQUE
Step One
First & Foremost: Establish an "I AM OK, YOU ARE OK" position with them by first
few sentences without touching the subject.
"I am so glad to be with such committed persons."
Step Two
Start speech from a point of agreement. Everyone should say / feel “YES” !
"We need to make our village a better place to live."
Step Three
Slowly move towards points of disagreement -- in small steps. As you move on, shift
from MIND-REASONS to HEART REASONS.
"Self-help is best help. We are residents of the same village. If the village develops our
life would be easier. We all would benefit from it. Nobody is going to help us unless we
help ourselves. We need to get together and think how we can make our village a better
place to live. Things are bad nowadays unless we hold our hands together we would never
be able to ‘cross the river’ safely. There are a lot of changes happening in other villages,
through community institutions. HCFP has provided us an opportunity to develop our own
institution for development of our resources. Let us grab this opportunity or the
opportunity may be lost……….…”
Keep Eye contact, watch their Body – Language.
Step Four
The moment you feel you have them nodding with you, without wasting any more words.
Ask them! Request them for a clear-cut action, to be done - Today !
“Shall we all decide and commit today to make our institution a success by becoming its
members and contributing our time and resources for a common purpose. Let us all
contribute a token of Rupees Ten as membership fees.”
Step Five
Presume that they have all agreed. Say that you have full faith that they will do as
agreed, thank them and close.
" And now that we have resolved to do the right thing, I am sure everyone.."
Remember ...
•
Use maximum of "WE". We know. We are. We should. We wish.
•
Never shoot arrows more than necessary.
•
Try overkill and you may loose, Stretch it and it breaks.
•
One HUMAN STORY is more powerful than hundreds of arguments, thousands of
facts & figures.
•
Use ANECTODES, SLOGANS, POETRY and PROVERBS.
ACE FORMULA
First:
APPRECIATE
Then:
CRITICIZE
Finally:
ENCOURAGE
HANDOUT
Hypothetical Case: The Story of Community Forestry Project in
“Purakhatta Aam Pur” Village
Village ‘Purakhatta Aam Pur’ was selected for a community forestry project. The norms
and conditions, objectives & process, approach and strategies of the project were the
same as those of HCFP.
The villagers were somewhat indifferent and unaware of the whole thing when the local
SDFO landed one day in the village, along with a Forester and a Forest Guard, and met
the Sarpanch to inform him of the intention of the project to work in his village. The
Sarpanch and a few other persons were more enthusiastic. They hoped that at least it
would generate some employment during plantation, if nothing else.
The SDFO informed that the project would be doing much more than that. They would
be giving free fruit and other seedlings desired by farmers to plant on their farm land.
In some cases, they would also provide incentives of Rs. Two per surviving plant in
second year and Rs. Three in the third year. They have a provision of Rs. 15,000/- to be
given to the village for any work the villagers want to undertake. They would also
construct a Chetna Kendra with an investment of Rs. One Lakh in the village. Plus they
would create plantations on common land. The village would also be given Rs. Thirty
Thousand through a committee, which would be formed by the project to look after the
plantations after three years. Plus there are more things under the project.
The Sarpanch assured the team that he would provide all possible support to the
project. A meeting was called, in which not many people turned up, and the models and
benefits of the project were explained. Those who attended were quite happy that they
would get fruit seedlings of their choice free of cost and the general opinion was that
the ‘scheme’ seems good. One of the villagers said that previously plantations were
taken up on the Panchayat land but the results were not very good. The SDFO told the
villagers that things are ‘different’ in this project. The Sarpanch later told the team
that the person is a ‘nuisance’ and similarly tries to block development projects in the
village. He is a frustrated person.
The SDFO asked the Sarpanch to identify at least 10 ha. of Panchayat land where a
Village Wood Lot can be created by the project. The Sarpanch told him that he would
look into the matter. The team went back happy and satisfied with the start they had
made in the village and promising that they would be back soon to start work in the
village. Before going back, the Forest Guard tried to find out if it is possible for him to
stay in the village, as it would be easier for him to stay there and work.
After three days, the Forest Guard came and started living in the village. He went to
meet the Sarpanch, who told him that he has been thinking about some things for which
the project could provide support. The Guard told him that it would be better if more
persons are involved in the discussion. Later in the evening a meeting of important
persons in the village was called at the Sarpanch’s residence.
The Forest Guard explained that at the stage of village entry, the project had a
provision of Rs. 15, 000/- for any activity the villagers want to take up in the village.
There were various suggestions ranging from Bus Shelter to Street Light to “Phirni” to
Veterinary Hospital. Everyone felt that the amount of money being provided by the
project is very little. The Forest Guard explained that it is just a ‘token’ amount, and
more would come later. He asked them to agree on something, and then the money would
be released. The Sarpanch asked whether the money would come to the Panchayat. The
Forest Guard told that they should tell him what is to be done and he would get it done.
If the expense is more than 15,000/- Rupees, then they should consider contribution
from the Panchayat or households. The Sarpanch said that he would discuss it with
others, and would inform him later on.
One week after the last discussion, the Forest Guard was going to meet his SDFO. On
the way, at the bus stand, he saw the Sarpanch, and asked him whether they have
decided on the work to be undertaken. The Sarpanch told him that they had not. The
main difficulty is that all those things that they want require much greater expense
than what the project is providing, and chances of contribution is little. The Forest
Guard suggested that probably they should try to get some Utensils for the Dharamsala
that can be used for cooking during marriage reception. They can buy as much as they
want for 15,000 Rupees. He also said that if it is agreeable to him, he would inform the
SDFO as such during their meeting. The Sarpanch felt it was a good idea.
During the next few days, the Forest Guard came to meet other persons in the village.
The list of Utensils was finalised, and the Forest Guard took the responsibility to buy it
for them. Some persons thought that probably the money could have been used much
more fruitfully, but kept the thought to themselves. Harijans in the village hoped that
probably the project would provide utensils for the Harijan Dharamsala too.
The Forest Guard had a tough time explaining to the Harijans why the project would not
be providing any more utensils. The SDFO again visited the village and asked the Forest
Guard to confirm the availability of Panchayat land for plantation. He was troubled by
what he had heard. Two persons from the village had visited him. While talking about
availability of common land, he was told that there is only three ha. of very degraded
land available. He also asked to start collecting all information and data required under
the project and complete the Participatory Assessment.
The Forest Guard discussed the matter with some individuals. An ex-Sarpanch was
quite helpful in explaining the existing situation. It came out that a lot of land is under
encroachment by individual households for one thing or the other. On some portion
some trees stand from an earlier plantation taken up by Social Forestry. About 20 ha.
of Panchayat land is irrigated, and is given on lease. When the matter was taken up with
Sarpanch, he told that he would immediately make a resolution if the Forest Guard
takes care of his ‘interest’. The Forest Guard started wondering what that interest
may be? He decided to consult his senior and more experienced colleagues about it.
The Forest Guard explained in one of his visits to the Sarpanch that the project needs
to collect some information from all the households, and prepare some Maps. For the
purpose two men and two women would be employed by the project on daily wage basis.
Then two persons would be employed as Link Workers for three years by the project.
Four persons were identified by the Sarpanch, including his nephew, for the purpose.
The household survey started. Some of them reported to the Forest Guard that in
some houses they are not giving the correct information, as they feel that the
information would be used by the Government to tax them. The Maps and other
matrices were not much of a problem. The enumerators made some of the village social
and resource maps, taking help of some children studying in the village school. The
Forest Guard tried to involve some more persons in discussions. He also needed to
collect some information from the village women.
However, things were slow till one day the SDFO came to the village and informed that
project activities would not be carried out till the data collection process is completed,
a committee is formed and availability of common land for plantation is ensured. He also
took up the matter of common land for a VWL with the Sarpanch. The Sarpanch
identified a patch that might serve the purpose of the project. He also suggested that
the patch planted by Social Forestry had failed and if the project helps him to get
permission for harvest and sale of the remaining trees, that patch can also be
replanted. The encroachers were unwilling to leave their encroachments. Each wanted
others to leave first. The Sarpanch felt that being a government department the FD is
in the best position to remove the encroachers. The SDFO said he would see what he
could do.
Meanwhile, a meeting was called one day to form the VRMC. There were some
individuals who wanted to be in the committee. As the Sarpanch could not be the
Chairperson, he was not interested. The ex-Sarpanch was made the Chairperson, with
which the Sarpanch was not very happy, but he kept it to himself. He tried to ensure
that at least the other positions should go to his known supporters. The Forest Guard
explained that they should also have representation from the women and SC, as per the
project norm. The Sarpanch’s wife was made the Vice-Chairperson.
The Forest Guard was asked in one of the departmental meetings that he should try and
find out the fruit seedlings the villagers want to plant in their homestead and the tree
species they would like to plant in their farm. Such an information was already available,
as the door-to-door survey was already complete. The common land was still a problem.
The CF was coming on inspection tour of the area. The SDFO thought it would be good
to take him to the village. The VRMC Chairperson and the Sarpanch were informed a
day before. The Sarpanch who had some other engagements was persuaded to stay.
Next day the meeting took place. The attendance was quite good, and the CF talked to
the villagers. He said that if villagers co-operate with the project, things would be much
better. Unlike other projects, here they would only do things desired by the people.
The VRMC should ensure that villagers participate in the project, because unless they
participate, the project would not be successful. Each and every household should pay
five Rupees to the VRMC to become its general body member. The project would be
implemented through the VRMC. The VRMCs would be given Rs. 30,000/- to carry out
their activities. The Link Workers are the employees of the VRMC, for which the
project is paying Rs. 1,200/- per month.
Some of the villagers said they wanted to plant Poplar, but they have not been given any
seedlings. Others, from the VRMC, said they have not yet received Rs. 30,000. One of
the Link Workers complained that they have still not been given any salary. The C.F.
told them that the project has made a policy to pay the money only if the membership
fees from 50% of the households are collected and if a Village Woodlot is planted. This
was news to the villagers. Some of them said ‘goodbye’ to Rs. 30,000/-.
The issue of common land availability was taken up. The C.F. who had visited the site
while coming to the village was not happy with the patch of land, it was inadequate and
severely degraded. He was not very interested in getting into removing the
encroachment. He asked why don’t they provide the land leased by the Panchayat for
plantation. The first reaction of the Sarpanch was negative. He thought that trees take
a lot of time in providing returns, whereas from leasing of land for agriculture, the
Panchayat gets annual return. Sensing this the C.F. clarified that they can get annual
returns from trees too, if they plant fruit trees such as Beri. This seemed to be a good
suggestion and the villagers were interested. They had seen some of the individuals in
their village making good money from Beri plantation. It was agreed that they would
provide five ha. of leased land, provided the project takes up Beri plantation there.
Meanwhile, the DFO received a letter from the head office asking for Participatory
Appraisal and Micro-plan documents of project villages. He in turn wrote to the SDFO
asking him to submit the reports within five days. The SDFO asked the Forest Guard,
who came down to his office with matrices and maps and diagrams. The SDFO could not
make sense of much of it. He was confused, and thought why the hell do they need to
write these things? What is its relevance? How can they help?
The Forest Guard in the village was having problems. He had a tough time explaining why
the project has decided not to provide Poplar seedlings to those who wanted it. He
tried to say that the area is not suitable for it, but the villagers had seen others
planting on their own and succeeding. He was also troubled when he heard that Beri
plantation cannot be raised under VWL. Instead the project is now proposing to plant
Ailanthus.
The villagers were, on their part, troubled that the Forest Guard is bringing in labour
from outside, and those who need work in the village are deprived of it. They were more
troubled when they had to go to the Nursery to collect the seedlings and found there
that they are not getting the species they wanted in sufficient numbers, and instead
were being given seedlings of some other species about whose utility they were not
quite sure.
A consultant who provided training happened to meet some project staff after these
things had happened. He was interested to know how successfully the participatory
process and approach is being adopted by them. He was told by the Forest Guard that it
may have been useful if the villagers were more educated. In the present context it is
impractical. Nowadays everyone thinks of personal benefit, and no one is interested in
common benefit. Though he said he had managed to get the maps prepared by villagers,
neither he nor the villagers could see any practical use of them. He also felt that the
village should not have been selected for the project, as common land is not available.
The SDFO felt that the staff have not properly understood the tools and techniques
for participatory appraisal and microplanning, and have some difficulty in applying them.
He felt that probably they need more training.
Discussion Questions:
1. Why do you think the problems arose in the village?
2. Can you identify instances of ineffective communication in the case presented
above?
HANDOUT
What we do and don’t do: Factors Leading to Ineffective
Communication.
What we do
What we don’t do
Lecture
Listen
Meet few
Meet all
Interrupt others while talking
Encourage others to talk
Meet those who are easily
available
Meet those who are not easily
available
Make promises
Keep promises
Make unprepared speech
Prepare our speech
Distribute leaflets
Discuss contents of leaflets
Provide
Take feedback
Use vague, general and
unfamiliar words
Use local, familiar and specific
words
Use our judgements
Understand villagers’ perception
Impose our ideas
Understand villagers’ needs
Ask close-ended questions
Ask open-ended questions
Consult
Implement
Tip box: Style of questioning
Very often the way in which questions are asked can build
or destroy trust.
What are known as open questions encourage people to say
what they think. Open questions start with the important
words:
What… When… Where… Who… How…
Why…
Both for interaction with local people and also interaction
with field staff, this style of open questioning can help to
build understanding and openness.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO BEFORE HOLDING A MEETING?
List guidelines for what you should do before holding a meeting. Use the box below to
help provide ideas.
Discuss and agree on the issues these with your staff. When you have agreed on the
guidelines, ensure that everyone uses them in their work.
What must be done before a meeting
Arrange the meeting in advance and inform people in advance if
there is any change in programme
Check that the time is convenient
Make sure people know the purpose of the meeting, and who
should attend (this is when the meeting has been convened by
staff rather than by villagers)
Make sure on the day before the meeting is to take place that it
is still possible to hold it
Make sure that women are able to attend the meeting and that
you are holding the meeting at a time and place convenient for
them
Make sure you have all the necessary equipment – such as pens,
charts, paper
Follow up all the actions you agreed at the last meeting before
going to the next meeting
Make sure that any necessary government or other non-
government staff are able to attend
If villagers call you to a meeting you should attend
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO DURING A MEETING?
List out guidelines for what you should do during meetings. Use the ideas in the Box.
When you have agreed on the guidelines, ensure that you and your staff use them in
your work.
What to do during meetings
Do not arrive late. Respect people’s time and go to the village when
you said you would.
Be patient! Trust cannot be built in a day.
Do not hurry meetings.
Conduct meetings in a school or other public meeting place and not at
the house of one particular person (you may exclude other people
from attending the meeting, particularly if it is at the house of a
wealthy person).
Make sure that everyone sits together with no separation (preferably
with some on chairs and others sitting on the floor).
Do not carry on too long. If people are busy or they show a lack of
interest, come back another day at a mutually agreed time.
Value other people’s time. If an exercise cannot be finished within a
reasonable amount of time, come back at another time to complete it.
Spend time with different interest groups to build up their
understanding, confidence and trust. Hold separate group meetings
with interest groups that are particularly dependent on the resource.
Ensure that their needs are highlighted and brought into the planning
process.
Conduct separate exercises with women and men to highlight their
different needs. Women, who are often shy in public in front of men,
will then be able to speak out with more confidence.
At the end of each meeting there should be a public/group’s
agreement to continue or not – the facilitator should constantly check
that everyone is agreed to both the process and the outcome.
Tip box
Making a record of meetings
Make sure a clear record of the meeting is kept recording:
ƒ
Who attended
ƒ
What was done (i.e. what exercises were carried out or what
discussions held)
ƒ
What decisions were taken
ƒ
What actions were agreed and who is responsible
ƒ
Date of next meeting
HANDOUT
ROLE PLAY
Role A (Sarpanch)
You are the Sarpanch of the village where HCFP has been working since last six months.
Initially you had hopes that the project might do something good for the village, but
with time the hopes have turned into misgivings. To start with, the project staff had
discussed various problems in the village and everyone had started thinking that
probably the project would help them solve these problems – at least some of them. But
now they are talking only of plantation. You feel all this talk about solving the problems
was just an ‘appearance’ and the real motive was only to take up plantation.
You also feel that they are marginalising you and come to you only when they want
Panchayat resolutions. The project has constituted a committee, to which they want the
Panchayat to hand over Panchayat land for plantation. Even your suggestions for Link
Workers were not entertained. All the talk about villagers making their own plan was
humbug. You hear the plan has already been prepared, but no one in the village knows
about it. You feel that the VRMC Chairperson and the local Forest Guard have formed
some sort of alliance and would not properly use the money which is to be allocated for
your village.
Today there is a meeting in the village and a forest officer is coming. You have been
requested to attend the meeting, where you plan to make your feelings clear to the
forest officer when you meet him in the meeting.
Role B (Forest Officer)
You are a Forest Department Officer working for HCFP. In the village your project and
you have come to know that the Sarpanch is not happy with the work your project has
undertaken and hence he is creating problems in giving the Panchayat land for village
woodlot plantation. You, however, think his unhappiness relates more to his interest not
being served. You also suspect that the Sarpanch thinks that his position is getting
undermined due to activities of the project, such as formation of a VRMC whose
Chairperson is an ex-Sarpanch and an opponent of the current Sarpanch. Today there is
a village meeting, where you will meet the Sarpanch. You plan to have a long talk with
him and make him agree to cooperate with the project, as he had promised when project
staff first came to the village.